Twenty-year follow-up of antenatal corticosteroid treatment

Objective. To study late side effects of antenatal corticosteroid treatment on health and sexual development in subjects 20 to 22 years old. Methods. A follow-up study among young adults whose mothers had, because of a threatening delivery, participated in a randomized, double-blind, placeb o-controlled trial of betamethasone to prevent neonatal respiratory distres s syndrome. Measurements were taken on general health, growth, development in puberty, reproductivity, genital or gynecological complaints, gender dev elopment, sexual orientation, sex-specific cognitive functioning, and psych oneuroticism. In addition, some measurements were performed on family disea ses, socioeconomic status, and education. Results. No differences were found between the corticosteroid-treated and p lacebo groups as to medical or psychological variables. In general, the sub jects were healthy and had normal intellectual capacities. Groups did not d iffer on gender development, sexual orientation, sex-specific cognitive fun ctioning, and psychoneuroticism. Systolic blood pressure was significantly lower in the corticosteroid group, but the groups did not differ as to dias tolic blood pressure. Conclusions. Our 20-year follow-up study indicates that 1 course of antenat ally administered corticosteroid to prevent respiratory distress syndrome d oes not have adverse effects up to adulthood.